Once Upon a Winter Night in Flanoir
by Dark Moon Crystales
Summary: What happened once in Flanoir between Lloyd and Genis. BxB


**WARNING!**

**THIS FIC CONTAINS SHOUNEN-AI. **

**DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY BOYS IN LOVE. **

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**FLANOIR**

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It was a beautiful night.

Behind the low man-made buildings mountains rose majestically reaching towards heavens, their rocky, harsh surface covered with the most beautiful white powder. Snowflakes floated down from the heavens softly, turning into a blanket over the ground, covering everything in white. It was as if the earth pulled a blanket over itself to sleep past winter and wake up in spring to bloom again. Frost spread its wings above the land, turning Genis's breath into small white puffs of air.

Snowflakes floated down from the heavens, each unique, each dancing down like a ballerina wearing a white tutu. Icicles hung from eaves, those lollipops made of winter. There was no wind, it had retreated to honour the peace of the night. Everything dressed itself in silence, his footsteps in the snow were the only sounds.

Genis walked to the balcony, looking around. It was so beautiful. He had made little angel shapes in the snow on his way, he'd tried to catch a snowflake on his tongue (and succeeded after calculating the most probable landing angle), but only after having felt the silence, he truly understood the beauty of winter. He shook his head to get off the pile of snow on his hair. It disintegrated into a puff of white flour.

Nature was something humans didn't understand. Elves did. He looked at the clouds crying above him, wondering which of them was he more alike. He was neither, yet both. He was the one in the middle, with no place to call his own, no race to belong to. Mithos... He couldn't help but wonder why he was so sympathetic towards him. It made no sense.

The perfect silence was broken by the sound of footsteps, muffled by the profuse snow. Genis turned around, leaning his head to shed off snow. They both froze, Genis half-way turning, Lloyd standing still as a statue. Like silent raindrops snow kept on falling, it was the only sign of time as their gazes met.

Having followed him, Lloyd stood alone in the snow, hugging himself, trembling because it was so cold. He looked at Genis with a furrowed brow, obviously thinking hard. His chocolate brown eyes were hesitant, shifty. Snow was slowly piling on his head, frost had turned his cheeks healthy rosy, his nose was obviously runny; he kept sniffling. Genis wouldn't have been surprised had he wiped his nose in his sleeve. He found himself smiling at the thought, he knew Lloyd too well.

"We hardly ever see snow in Iselia since it's so warm." Genis said, his right hand rhythmically moving as he spoke. He turned to look at the belfry, reaching out his hands to catch more snow. It felt cold upon touching the skin of his palm, dissolving upon contact. "Wow, this is so cool!"

Lloyd said nothing. He was deep in thought, his heart was racing, wanting to burst out of his chest to say those words unsaid. He breathed in for luck, filling his lungs with frozen air. He closed his eyes as he took another deep breath, the air surrounding them was blessed in its silence, its white purity.

"Genis..." He took a step closer, reaching out his frost-bitten hand to touch Genis's shoulder.

The boy shivered, turning his gaze to the ground.

"What is it?" Lloyd managed to say, his teeth clacking against each other.

"I just got a little scared." Genis answered, turning to look at him. Snowflakes clung onto his silvery bangs, making him look like a porcelain doll, forgotten outside alone. His pale blue gaze was full of starlight, his cheeks glowing from the effects of frozen air. His tiny elven ears were red from frost-bite.

Lloyd felt his heart throbbing, his hands clenched into fists, his breathing was intermittent; he couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed Genis's slender shoulders with trembling hands and pulled him into an awkward kiss, lifting the tiny boy off the ground. Their lips were cold as they met. Their noses flattened against each other. Lloyd shut his eyes tightly, Genis's eyes blew wide open with shock. His legs dangled above ground, his arms hung motionless from his shoulders, he could neither gawk nor breathe because Lloyd's kiss was so forceful. Around them snow fell softly, embracing them in the silence of the night.

Finally Lloyd put Genis back on the ground, releasing his lips. He still didn't open his eyes, afraid of what might happen. A heavy weight had been lifted off his heart, it beat no longer with desperation but with anxiety and hope, wanting confirmation for the feelings that had been spread open for his best friend.

"I...I..." Genis began, his world ravished. He couldn't finish what he was about to say, because he knew no longer.

Lloyd opened his eyes, looking into those vast blue eyes, wide open with shock. The boy was covered in snow. "Genis..." He began, hesitating. "Genis... I know."

"W-what?" The boy asked, gawking. Lloyd was too close, he felt like he couldn't breathe. He had to turn around and take a hold of the railing to stand straight.

"I know about your feelings." Lloyd said, sounding like a little boy.

Genis head turned almost horizontally with surprise. "W-what feelings?"

Lloyd was clearly taken aback. He rubbed his neck nervously, trying to chuckle, but it sounded more like choking. He tried to regain his dignity by searching for the right words, but it was too late. It just poured from his mouth, a vomit of confession, a spit of truth:

"You-you have always loved me! You have, I know it! You're always teasing me and when we walk, your hand keeps brushing against mine. At night I wake up and see you watch me sleep, in the morning you make me breakfast with a smile and in a tight spot you always defend me despite you being weaker than me and-"

"No", Genis blurted, leaning to the railing, his hands freezing on it. His blue eyes were still wide, full of confusion, reflecting the stormy ocean inside him. "I've... I've done those things for friendship, isn't that what friends do?"

Lloyd came closer, close enough for their noses to touch. Cold air radiated from him, his breath was warm. Genis couldn't run from his gaze, he was too close. His chocolate gaze was drilling into his eyes, into his soul.

"It is true, isn't it?" Lloyd asked, or was he... pleading?

Genis tried to lean back to get away from him, but the railing was already pressing against his back like the bars of a jail cell. He tried to lift himself on it to get further away but Lloyd's hands found his shoulder blades, pulling him near. He couldn't run, he was trapped - half sitting on the railing, behind him a steep fall, half crushed by his human friend, whose cold breath he could feel on his neck as he arched his back to try and get a look around, to find out how to escape.

"Lloyd..." He huffed, admitting his defeat. It was no use trying to wiggle an squirm.

"Don't tell me I was wrong", Lloyd begged, slowly letting go of him. He had gone too far, pursuing Genis almost to a fall that could've taken his life. Without the boy's warmth, the heat radiating from his body he felt the cold again, how it sneaked up his feet, gnawing its way to his bones.

Genis looked away from him, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Lloyd turned his head away, his eyes focused on his feet. "I was... I was wrong, wasn't I?"

Genis looked at him sheepishly: "I can kind of understand how you feel..." He kept a small break, unsure of his feelings. " Just a little."

Lloyd sighed heavily, turning his gaze to the sky. Had he known any prayers, he would've said one. Snowflakes felt cold on his face, his face was frozen enough for them not to melt instantly.

"Isn't the best thing about us that we're friends forever?" Genis said, still wary. "I mean, do you want to throw this friendship away just to try how love changes our relationship?"

Lloyd closed his eyes, allowing more snow fall on his face. It hurt. His inner self hurt. He was suffocating. His heart was crumbling inside of him, every bit of his body ached. It was the single most horrible moment of his life, being turned down by the one he loved and had thought to return his feelings. But he understood. He had no other choice. The boy was right, their friendship was much too valuable to be tossed away. What they shared was special, unique. Forcing Genis to love him would only distance them for ever. It was best to take what he was offered and submit to his destiny.

"...It's getting pretty cold. Want to head back inside?" He asked, heaving a deep, defeated sigh.

Genis sneezed, his whole being trembling by the power of one sneeze. "Yeah, sounds good. Thanks, Lloyd."

"...For what?" Lloyd asked, perturbed.

"For... for having the courage." Genis answered with a smile, running off.

Lloyd sighed. He had put his heart on the line and lost, but as friends he was still allowed to be around him. Even though his love hadn't got an echo from the boy, they would still be best friends, they would share moments of happiness and despair together, laughter and sadness. Worlds would form and worlds would perish, but friendship would last forever. Lloyd hugged himself, the night was getting even colder. He shook the snow off his head, wiped it off his sleeves and clothes and walked away, smiling.

He was lucky to have a friend like Genis.

Snow kept on falling, twirling as it came down from the heavens. Slowly it covered their footsteps, concealing the events on the balcony under a soft white duvet. The night was silent again, as if nothing had ever happened.

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There it is! I hope you liked it!

Now please review, because **reviewing is caring.** I will answer all reviews on my homepage.


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